


Midnight Melodies from the Past

by A_Creative_Metal_Eyeball



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I forgot some tags, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), My First AO3 Post, No beta we die like cryptids, References to Super Smash Brothers, Short One Shot, Song Lyrics, The Megas, The other Links are there
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-22
Updated: 2020-04-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:08:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23789863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Creative_Metal_Eyeball/pseuds/A_Creative_Metal_Eyeball
Summary: When on night watch, Legend begins to ponder what his future holds and the seemingly endless cycle the Links are caught in. Wind's not gonna let that stand.
Relationships: Legend & Wind (Linked Universe)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 44





	Midnight Melodies from the Past

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, Readers! I'm super hyped to be here! This is my first time showing one of my works to the world, so I'm also kind'a nervous. I only created my account just this morning, but I REALLY wanted to share this with you! I hope you enjoy!
> 
> This was actually a prompt from Linked Universe Prompts on tumblr:  
> linkeduniverse-prompts.tumblr.com/post/614708394823237632/pick-a-song-in-your-playlist-right-now-assign-a
> 
> The song I used is this:  
> youtube.com/watch?v=-B7k1lH9b0Y

It was a quiet and peaceful night, a rare luxury for the nine heroes. They had switched to Wild's Hyrule a few hours earlier, close to a town the 117-year-old teen called Lurelin Village. Unfortunately, it was half a days walk and the sun had already begun to set. After a brief discussion on what their next move would be, Time announced that they would set up camp and head to the village in the morning. Sighs of relief swept across the group as packs were dropped and unloaded. Soon the mouth-watering aroma of Wild's cooking filled the warm evening air, joined by the sounds of stories and laughter as the other Links relaxed. After dinner was finished, the order of night watch was set and most of the Links turned in.

Around midnight, Legend found himself staring into the dwindling embers of the fire. Somewhere in the back of his mind, a part of him knew he should wake Wind for his shift soon, but the rest was preoccupied. Thoughts of the future and his legacy flitted around like faeries; he had defeated Ganon three times already, (not including that nightmare copy on Koholint,) yet Hyrule still had to fight that demon. The young traveler, his successor, someone he saw as a younger brother, forced to live a life on the run. Hyrule's cursed blood being the only thing sealing Ganon away.

_'All because of me,'_ Legend thought mournfully. _'Because, somehow, no matter how many times I've fought, I can't keep that pig down. I'm the reason his home is a wasteland, why he lives in fear of each day being his last, all of Hyrule's last. Why he's so scared of his own blood. It's because of me. Because I failed. He looks up to me, but he shouldn't; there's nothing inspiring about a failure.'_

Someone shuffling in their bedroll pulled him from his self-deprecating thoughts. Looking over the other heroes, Legend sighed, wondering how many more times they would have to repeat this twisted cycle of fighting and rebirth before it ended.

Wiping away a tear, he remembered a song his sister taught him after she returned from that "super secret fighting club" (her words, not his,) she liked sneaking off to for days on end. It started off somber, lamenting over a repeating cycle of fighting, before building into a determined resolution during the second part as a second singer joined. Legend looked back at it and thought it described the situation the Links were in pretty well, even if some of the words confused him (what in the name of the Golden Three is a robot?).

Quickly scanning the camp, no one seemed to be awake. Shrugging, Legend tilted back a bit to lean against a tree. Everyone was sleeping, no witnesses, so what's the harm in singing? It'd help keep his mind off other things, and might banish that little bit of homesickness he definitely didn't have, nope, not at all. Taking a breath, the Hero of Legend began to quietly sing.

"I think I've played this song before  
The melody is different, but I hear the drums of war  
So it seems my mission is the same  
What always ends in bloodshed, begins as just a game

History repeating...  
Who do they call when robots need defeating?  
History repeating...  
Who do I call when I'm broken and bleeding?

Now I can say, when you want to be the one  
What you start to realize is... Is you're the only one  
So here I am, beginning a new page  
With the players set, it's time to pick the stage

History repeating...  
Who do they call when robots need defeating?  
History repeating...  
Who do I call when I'm broken and bleeding?"

Closing his eyes, Legend hummed the instrumental between the first and second parts. So engrossed in the melody, he didn't notice Wind waking up and staring. The young pirate knew that song, but how did Legend?

_'I never saw him at any of the tournaments,'_ he pondered. _'But that hoarder's Zelda_ is _the new one. She probably taught it to him.'_

A quick glance had Wind's big brother instincts acting up; Legend's eyes were puffy and watery, twin tracks running down his cheeks shone in the light of the fire. The other hero may have been older than him, but at that moment, he looked like a homesick little boy who could use some company. Struck with an idea, Wind waited silently as Legend continued with the song.

"I stand before a line in the sand  
The fight lies ahead; fate in my hands  
Today, the end begins  
One step and the battle is born  
The road that I walk is a gathering storm  
Today, the end begins...

And if it was up to me  
I'd rewrite history  
And change my destiny  
One last time

Betrayed my father again  
This is the last time; I'm the Mega of men  
Today, I change the end."

A second voice cutting him off almost had Legend jumping to his feet.

"Hi, Rock. My weapon is hot  
It's time to throw down; Show me what you got  
Today, we change the end..."

Wind sat up as he sang, shooting the other a small grin. Cautiously narrowing his eyes, Legend cursed himself for not noticing the small sailor waking up. Just his luck, some one not only caught him singing, but knew the song as well and decided to join in. Deciding he was far too tired to care about any possible humiliation, he continued. He'd just make the kid swear himself to secrecy once they were done. Two voices echoed across the night sky as they began the next chorus.

"And if it was up to me  
I'd rewrite history  
And change my destiny  
One last time

And he says, 'You sons, why do you fight?' _(There's a sound_  
How can you say you know what's right? _before the fight)_  
What if we win? What if we fall? _(A song before_  
Will any choice that we make _the fall)_  
**_Matter at all?_**  
I know i can win, I've done it before  
Get out of my way, I gotta settle the score  
One last time."

("He's the prototype man of Mega Man," a voice quietly sang on the other side of the camp, unheard by the increasingly louder duo. Time's eye filled with a mischievous, playful gleam; he still remembered the blue and red armored brothers teaching his younger self and a few other fighters that song between matches. He wondered if Wild did too, or if that happened before his amnesia.)

"And if it was up to me  
I'd rewrite history  
And change my destiny  
One last time

One last time

And now it's up to me  
To go make history  
And meet my destiny  
One last time

One last time..."

The final words faded into the night, as a comfortable silence replaced it. Legend gave Wind a small thankful smile; he had needed that, even if he refused to admit it. Wind beamed back, knowing that his personal little side quest was a success. Clapping broke the quiet, eliciting startled squawks from the duo. Panicked gazes found the seven other heroes awake, all in various states of tired surprise. Warriors opened his mouth, likely to make a snarky comment, but was quickly shut down by a scathing glare from Wind.

"Why are you all awake and how much did you hear?" snapped Legend.

Time gave them a tiny, barely-there smile before answering for the sleepy group.

"The two of you were practically shouting in the middle of the bridge, and only got louder from there. I'd be surprised if anyone _hadn't_ woken up. As for me, I heard the whole thing. Though, I'm impressed you managed to sound like Rock and Blues."

Turning to the rest of the group (and ignoring Wind's hushed "Wait a second, he knows them? Who-he was there?"), Time gave them the best dad-look he could muster.

"Now, back to sleep with you all. Legend, that includes you. It's late, and we have a lot of ground to cover tomorrow. Wind, you're on watch, don't forget to wake Sky for his shift before turning in."

With a few groans and some shuffling, the Links returned to their bedrolls. As Legend closed his eyes, he couldn't help the grin spreading across his face. Sure, the fighting sucked, and they could be annoying at times, but the man was glad to have met the others. Humming contentedly, he drifted off, falling into a peaceful dream.

**Author's Note:**

> If you got to the end of this, thank you SO much. I had a lot of fun writing this, and I hope you enjoyed it. Because this is my first time sharing any of my writings to the world, I'd really appreciate constructive criticism. Hope you have a great day!
> 
> BACKSTORY!
> 
> So, like I said earlier, I'm SUPER new on this site, but I've been creeping around without an account for a few years. After reading SO MANY stories that I absolutely adore, I finally worked up my courage, made an account, found a prompt, and spewed out this fic in a total of less than an hour. Fun fact, I've only ever actually finished two stories in my life; this is one of them.


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